The present invention relates to a method of forming a mat or other floor covering from a rope or other flexible member formed of strands, and an apparatus for performing the same.
Floor coverings, such as rugs or door mats are made using a Wide variety of materials and using a wide variety of techniques. Some mat designs, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,686,303, example, utilize a plurality of individual rigid frame members interconnected by flexible strands of yarn or cord. Others, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 685,916 to Gawne et al, utilize a woven wire mesh having a length of rope interlaced therein. Such composite designs are often relatively expensive to manufacture since the various materials required may be costly. Further the very features which give them their utility also make them rather unattractive.
Therefore, in order to provide door mats which are sufficiently decorative and aesthetically pleasing, it is still desirable to make available mats and the like which are woven from one or more lengths of rope or other stranded members. Heretofore, however, the manner in which such decorative mats are made has remained essentially unchanged for centuries. Each mat is manually woven by arranging a section of rope into a group of parallel lengths on a flat support surface and then interlocking them by alternately going over and under them with the free end of the rope. As should be readily apparent, the disadvantage of weaving the mat using this technique is that it is very time consuming. Further, the rope ends of mats produced in this manner must be secured by adhesive or by some mechanical fastening means such as a staple or clip to prevent them from becoming "unwoven" during use.